작품 상세

This is an intricate, highly detailed artwork by renowned Nigerian modernist Chief Zacheus Olowonunbi Oloruntoba (Chief Z.O.), a respected Yoruba artist whose works are celebrated for their symbolic storytelling, rhythmic patterning, and spiritual depth. Chief Z.O. (1934–2014) was a significant figure in Nigerian contemporary art, known for blending mythology, ancestral themes, and visionary abstraction. Tapesrty: 22 x 40 in. Frame: 37 x 55 in. This piece features a vivid assembly of stylized lions and mythic animal forms, executed in Chief Z.O.’s signature mosaic-like texture. The surface is filled with layered patterns, interwoven lines, and a rich palette of blues, yellows, greens, and earth tones. The composition reflects the artist’s fascination with spiritual guardianship and the natural world, making it a strong and characteristic example of his work. Importantly, Chief Z.O. 's artworks have appeared in major international auctions, including Bonhams, where one of his pieces achieved a realized price of $7,845, underscoring his growing recognition and collectability in the global art market. His death in 2014 has further increased interest in his work among collectors. This piece and the African collection in this auction originates from the former Atlanta Africa World Museum and Center, later known as the African Heritage Foundation, a privately held 503-C cultural institution established in Atlanta in 2009. The museum was founded following a 2008 initiative led by a highly respected African tribal chief in collaboration with officials from the City of Atlanta and leadership within the State of Georgia, through which grant funding and institutional support were secured to establish a major African cultural center in Midtown Atlanta. The institution opened with significant public recognition at 134 Peachtree Street Tower. Its inaugural events and early institutional support involved prominent civic, political, and international figures, including John Lewis, Andrew Young, then-Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, and international statesman Nelson Mandela. The opening marked a landmark cultural moment for both the City of Atlanta and the local African and African-diaspora communities. After approximately five years of operation, the museum ceased operations following the exhaustion of grant funding and internal financial mismanagement. As the institution was privately owned and not operated by the City of Atlanta, its collection was removed from public display and placed into secured warehouse storage. Over subsequent years, select objects were sold by the owner(s), while the remaining holdings remained in storage. In November 2023, due to unpaid storage fees, the balance of the collection—approximately 1,500 works of fine African art and cultural artifacts—was liquidated at auction. The present owner acquired the remaining collection in its entirety at that sale. All works offered in the upcoming auction derive directly from this acquisition and have remained in private ownership since their release from storage. The collection represents a rare opportunity to acquire museum-quality African art. Congratulations to the winning bidder!